The Crow Princess
by thesweetshipper
Summary: A fantasy AU of RWBY where curses and the like exist. Four girls flee a desperate situation and into the hands of the royal family's employment. Join Lilac and her friends as they meet Team STRQ, thwart kidnappers, and escape into a world of their wildest dreams. Qrow/OC
1. Chapter 1

What is up party people! It's Halloween, Halloween, HALLOWEEN! Hi, I'm thesweetshipper, otherwise known as Shelby and I'm here to deliver you all a top-notch RWBY fanfic. I came out of my YEARS long hiatus to bring you this fic because I saw a prompt online and was like, OMG THAT IS SO QROW.

This here fanfic is based off an AMAZING tumblr blog called au-ideas. I can't tell you it now because SPOILERS, but it's an amazing site and you should all check it out.

Anyways, this fic is based on fairy tale format, so the wording might feel a little outdated in places. Don't worry, it's supposed to be that way. I partially based some of the language from older books I that I LOVE, like _A Little Princess_ and _The Secret Garden._ It's a slow build at first, mostly because I'm introducing a bunch of OCs at the beginning and that's *ahem* a little hard to do.

Hopefully I'll get some good reviews on this (it's so nice to hear from you guys), but without further ado, let's kick off this year's Halloween with a bang!

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The Crow Princess

The mists of morning made their way throughout the hill country of Og. The sun was just now peeking its lazy eye above the many peaks. There was the scent of spring dew upon fresh grass that clung to the chilly air. The hares had come out of their burrows to dine on innocent housewives' gardens before the chicken-hawks had time to get up out of their nests.

A lone carriage made its way through the gloom, stamped with the royal crest and climbing a dirt path that led to the Royal Palace of Heights, Halatia. Inside it sat four young girls, each of them a runaway.

"Lilac, close the curtain," a young, sandy haired maiden pleaded. "What if we're seen?"

The girl sitting across from her obliged, pulling the curtain back with a slim hand. "Cici," she started, "it was only to look at the castle. Besides, we're miles away from Ogden; no one could scarcely recognize us _now_."

"I think she's right ma'a—er—Miss Cici," the tall, dusky skinned woman on Cici's left interjected. "There's no reason ya ought're worry now."

Yet, the round, sandy haired girl still fidgeted. "It's just—" she peered at Lilac through her eyeglasses "—the castle's so— _dark_ and _looming_ and—"

"Wonderfully gothic?" Lilac gushed, her large, queer purple eyes brightening.

Cici closed her eyes and sighed.

The tall girl next to her hid a smile behind her hand. "With gargoyles, Miss Lilac?"

Lilac nodded. "Oh yes, Marina! Rows and rows of them." But then she paused, frowning. "However, I didn't see any on the castle when I looked."

Marina gave a _tsk_ of sympathy when Cici said, "We must be nearly there now. When are you going to take that shawl off your head, Lilac?"

Lilac held out a finger onto her friend's lips. " _Shhhhhh_ ," she said with an enigmatic smile. "It's my disguise." She pulled her hand back and adjusted the indigo cloth covering her hair. It was completely at odds with the rest of her outfit, which was a ratty and tattered black velvet frock. The shawl was finely threaded and clearly more expensive.

"Besides," Lilac shrugged," It was a gift from you, wasn't it?"

Cici blushed. "Only after I stole it from the office…" she mumbled.

"Er," Marina interjected, pointing to a lump of blankets in the corner on Lilac's seat. "Shouldn't someone wake Clementine?"

"Oh!" Lilac popped a hand to her mouth. "Don't either of you two do a thing, I'll do it."

Lilac prodded the bundle of blankets gently, whispering something unintelligible to dear Marina and Cici. A few moments later, and a blonde head of curls rose up out of her den, her blue eyes blinking blearily.

"Mamma Lilac?" she asked, rubbing a chubby cheek. "We're already there?"

"Yes, Clementine," she answered excitedly. Reaching for the eight year old, she snuggled her into her lap. "Soon, we'll live in the same place as the prince himself!"

"I've heard the stories." Marina leaned in. "They say he rarely shows himself outside royal duties and stuff."

"But you've seen the princess, right?" Cici asked.

Marina pumped her head up and down. "Yep. Princess Raven was one of the prettiest girls I ever saw. She was an angel in that velvet gown of hers. I dare say—"

The carriage lurched and bucked to a stop and all four girls had to hold on to something. The horses outside snickered as the driver leapt down from his seat and knocked on their door.

"Final destination, ladies," he called out.

"Thank you, sir," Marina replied, opening the narrow carriage door. One by one, they managed to squeeze through it. Lilac helped Clementine down and looked about.

The servants' courtyard was barren this early in spring, full of gravel and shrubs that promised new leaves. Lilac stepped closer to Clementine, noticing the stately gray-cloaked woman standing in front of them.

Clasping her hands, the woman looked at each of them in turn. "Hello ladies," she greeted them breathily. "I am Mrs. Greene, the head manager of servants here at Halatia Palace. I trust that your journey was to your comfort?"

Lilac stepped forward, remembering the woman from the letters Marina had sent. She gave a perfect curtsey and replied, "Yes, madam. Thank you ever so much for the carriage you sent us."

Mrs. Greene motioned for the girls to come forward. "Come, come," she said, turning towards the steps. "It's time I got you out of this chilly air."

* * *

The room Mrs. Greene had led the girls into was rather bare. It had four wicker chairs with plump cushions for the girls to sit on and a large, lush rug from the kingdom of Mistral covering the floor. However, the cavernous room had recently been stonewashed, leaving the walls gray and a dry, stale taste in the air. All of the former furniture had been cleared for the stonewashing process, making the room feel like an empty nest.

Lilac saw Mrs. Greene return with two fellow gray-cloaked women. "Sorry for the wait, ladies," she apologized. "I insisted double-checking that your quarters were up to my standards."

Mrs. Greene walked up to the girls and spoke, "Given your former employment, I thought it best to give all four of you the same living space. Is that alright?"

"A-absolutely ma'am," Marina stuttered.

"Wonderful." Mrs. Greene sharply clapped her hands twice and poor Cici nearly fell out of her seat. The other two women, a smiling blonde and demure auburn, stepped forward.

"This is Mrs. Burns," Mrs. Greene said, and the blonde curtsied. "She's in charge of our child care facilities at Castle Halatia. I assure you, Miss Lilac, that your ward will be well cared for there."

"Yes, thank you," said Lilac. She squeezed Clementine's hand. "Be good for Mrs. Burns, alright Clementine?"

Clementine nodded and hopped off her chair.

"Just follow me," Mrs. Burns said, offering her hand. Clementine took it gratefully. In a happy half-whisper, Mrs. Burns said, "Today we're to redecorate the flower beds. Would you like to help me pick out the flowers?"

Clementine gasped delightedly and bounced up and down eagerly, all troubles forgotten. The pair left the room, talking excitedly about peonies and hyacinths. Lilac watched them go, grinning. She was worried about Clementine being on her own, but it seemed that she had found a new playmate right off the cuff.

Mrs. Greene spoke again. "Sometimes we let the children help out with some of the smaller chores around the castle. It helps add a sense of contribution, I find." She then gestured to the auburn haired woman, who curtsied as well. "This is Miss Hootch. She will be your supervisor Misses Citrine and Marina." She looked at the Marina and said, "Just like we've discussed in our letters Marina, you'll be under Miss Hootch's study until you both find a position that you like and best suits you. Now, as for you, Miss Citrine," she said, turning to Cici, "you'll be apprenticing under Miss Hootch. Seeing as how you've never been in this line of employment before, I and Miss Marina thought it prudent for you to work with her and learn the ropes, so to speak."

Cici smiled at this, relieved. She had been rather nervous to work as a maid in the castle when she had never been in the profession. To think, they were all finally free!

"And Miss Marina," Mrs. Greene addressed, "I know we had discussed this before in our letters, but Miss Lilac will not be working with you two. She will be working closely with me. We both agreed her talents could be put to better use elsewhere."

Marina nodded firmly. "Yes'm. She's too clever to be stuck making beds."

Mrs. Greene grinned. "I quite agree. Now, shall we get started with the day?"

Again, she clapped twice, and Miss Hootch shyly smiled, coming forward, and gestured for both Marina and Cici to get up. They did so, and Miss Hootch swept them out of the room, quietly murmuring to them once they reached the hallway.

Mrs. Greene motioned for Lilac, and the girl rose out of her seat. "I apologize for the lack of good-byes," she said. "Miss Hootch is a shy dear, and is unaccustomed to strange new persons. Why, even with me she scarcely raises her voice or gossips, and I've known her for five years."

"Oh, I understand," said Lilac. "I taught many young girls who were quite the same way."

Mrs. Greene chuckled. "That's a very impressive feat for a girl of only twelve years."

Lilac gave a slight shrug. "Anyone my age could have done it."

Mrs. Greene waved a hand. "Don't be so self-deprecating, Miss Lilac! Miss Marina told me how much of an angel you were with the children. Enough of my prattle… Come, walk with me. We can talk of your new position on the way to your new charge."

The spacious hallway looked much like a museum, filled with busts of old kings and models of old pirating vessels long since defeated. Lilac kept up the brisk pace with the statuesque woman beside her.

"You're to work with me as a kind of steward," Mrs. Greene explained. "Considering your credentials, I though you and the position were a perfect match. You're to teach him about the outside world—"

"Him?" Lilac squeaked.

"Yes dear, him. But not to worry, he's a lamb." Mrs. Greene tutted. "Poor dear. He's been sheltered by his parents for most of his life. He's such a gentleman, but has so few friends. I worry for him." She gave a small sigh and continued. "So do his parents. They asked me to find someone to be his companion of sorts." She winked at Lilac. "That's where you come in. I'd like you to be his friend. His parents just wanted someone willing to teach him about socialization and the world outside these walls. However, wouldn't it be nice if that someone was near his own age?"

"That sounds wonderful," Lilac agreed. Her purple eyes sparkled. "How old is he?"

"Thirteen," Mrs. Greene replied. "We're headed to one of his favorite haunts as we speak. He prefers the northwestern tower most days, especially when his sister isn't here and the weather's good."

"Sister?"

"Oh! Yes, his sister. As you should know, he and his sister are members of the nobility. She is often away at court at Palacia Tirna for most of the year, summering here at Palace Halatia. He won't admit it, but he misses his sister when she's away."

"I see." Lilac frowned as the two of them stopped outside a large wooden set of doors.

"We've arrived!" Mrs. Greene sang. "Would you like me to go in with you?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Greene. I think my pupil and I would feel better with someone we both knew in the room."

Mrs. Greene's eyes twinkled. "Well thought," she praised. With a grunt, she pulled open the heavy doors. They squealed open on their hinges to reveal a dark room, lit by a few old fashioned torches. They had to have been dust torches because the hay and straw bales Lilac could see lining the room and its rafters were not catching fire.

When the two women walked in, Lilac could see that it wasn't rafters, but a second story that wound about the tower's walls, with hay bales acting as steps. Then there was another story and another and another… By the stars, Lilac could see all the way to the tower's roof, where a small open window hinted at the world outside.

With as heft and a grunt, Mrs. Greene closed the doors behind them, enclosing the pair in the darkness.

A dark figure Lilac hadn't seen before shifted from its lounging position on the makeshift hay bale staircase.

"So, this is who you brought me," it spoke, its voice a young boy's, already promising to turn rough and gravely within time.

"Yes, my lord," Mrs. Greene replied.

"Come on, Mrs. Greene," said the young man, leaning his face into the light. "I thought I told you to cut that formalities garbage ages ago."

Lilac's mouth dropped open. For instead of a normal human's features, the boy had a perfect blend of skin and crow feathers.

Unfazed by this anomaly, Mrs. Greene answered, "I believe you were only five, my prince."

"P-prince?" Lilac faltered. The said boy smiled at this and leaned in closer.

"Yes," Mrs. Greene replied, placid as ever. "Lilac, meet Prince Qrow Branwen, your new charge."

Lilac had the sudden sense of mind to close her mouth. Her eyes were round as saucers. "I—I see."

"Folks around here call me Qrow," the young bird-man stated. "Except her," he said, pointing at Mrs. Greene. "She's been insisting on using my title whenever she meets me."

Mrs. Greene smiled kindly at him. "My dear prince, I only do so out of love." She turned to Lilac and rolled her eyes. "He's such a scamp."

The bird-man—Prince Qrow Branwen—laughed. "Hey, I heard that!"

Mrs. Greene chuckled and turned her attention to Lilac. "I'm afraid, my dear, that our crown prince looks this way because of a curse placed on him when he was three. It's permanent until he becomes a mature adult, according to the wise old witches that we contacted. When that will happen, even _they_ are not sure. However, young Prince Branwen is able to control some of the curse at best. He can glean away the feathers from his head and pass as unaffected in public, but it takes a lot out of him."

"Don't forget to tell her—I can also transform into a crow at will."

Mrs. Greene huffed. "Yes, giving your mothers and I quite the fright when you flew through the tea room window at the ripe age of four. Yes, heavens, don't let me forget."

Prince Qrow smirked. "The horrors."

Mrs. Greene mock-shuddered and Lilac fought the urge to smile. They were regular comedians, these two!

"Ah!" Mrs. Greene cried out. "Where _are_ my manners? Prince Qrow, this is Miss Lilac Crewe, your…Societies instructor. She'll be teaching you from now on, but she'll also be taking the same classes with you when fall sets in. I want you to treat her like you would your friends, Summer and Egbert."

"Will do."

"Excellent." Mrs. Greene turned to Lilac and addressed her, asking, "Would it be all right if I left the two of your own for some time? I have other duties I need to attend to, and I know you prefer to make your own niceties."

Unlike other rational young girls, Lilac nodded, saying, "Yes, please. If you may, I would like to be left alone with my pupil for a few hours."

With a wondering smile, Mrs. Greene loudly clasped her hands together. "As you wish!" She lightly tugged at a pulley contraption beside her. "This rings my bell in the servants' headquarters. Just pull on it if you need me. With that, I should be going." And she did so, hefting the door open with a groan and shutting it behind her.

Mrs. Greene had scarcely left when Lilac shook the purple shawl off her head, revealing her platinum blonde wave of hair. She tied the shawl around her waist as a kind of sash and ran a few fingers through her waves of hair in attempt to tame them. Lilac let out a long, shaky breath and plucked her courage from where it sat.

"What's flying like?" she asked abruptly, taking Qrow off guard.

It didn't show, but he had been rather nervous to learn that he was to be taught by an outsider of the castle. He had known the castle and its inhabitants all his life, and couldn't remember the last time he had the opportunity to meet a young girl his age. Prince Qrow thought that he rather liked the friendly smile of this new girl, and found himself running a hand through his spiky black hair, pushing back his stray bangs.

"Flying?" he asked. "No questions about my semblance or feathery skin condition?"

Lilac smiled. "I'm afraid not. Semblances are rather…intimate, so to speak."

"So's flying." Prince Chro smiled back, a bright flash of teeth.

Fluffing out her hair, Lilac asked, "Does that mean it's also the powerful manifestation of the soul?"

"In a sense," he answered. Prince Qrow leaped off of his hay bale, landing on the floor in front of Lilac. Now that he was fully in the light, she could see him properly.

Prince Qrow, like any other in the Branwen line, had been born with red eyes. Qrow's had a sparkle to them; of what Lilac didn't know. His white shirt and stormcloud waistcoat were of fine thread, as were his breeches. The buckled leather boots on his feet been polished until they shone like bright coals.

The prince smiled, breathtakingly bright. "There's nothing like it. Flying, that is. You feel at peace, yet energetic at the same time. I could show you if you want."

"Show me—as in, transform?"

"Of course," Prince Qrow said, offering her his hand. "You in?"

"Absolutely," Lilac answered, and when he took her hand, she felt just like what she used to be—a little princess.

* * *

How was it? Let me know! I thought it was pretty great. Again, I just came out of a years long hiatus, so I don't know when I'll get any time out of my busy schedule to add a second chapter. Anyhoo, hope you fans out there are craving more!


	2. Chapter 2

Ha-HA-HA-HA! I LIVE! Don't mind me, I'm just drunk on overwork from my job, too much homework, and no reviews. Please, review. Seriously, I have nothing to go on if you guys don't review. I created this chapter out of pure spite that no one reviewed. And only 31 views... UGH! I must be off my game... Anyways, enjoy! Oooh, and the Au this is based off of? The Raven Queen by au-ideas tumblr!

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Lilac had to race to keep up with Qrow as he led her along the grassy hills outside the castle. The young prince had shown her a door hidden in the tower's shadows that opened to the world outside.

The wild scenery was breathtaking. The fog from this morning was gone. The sun was shining bright, the sky a crisp feldbird's egg blue. Grass, heather, gorse, and other wildflowers rippled in the steady gale. Bees bumbled from flower to flower and grasshoppers popped out of the tall grass wherever Lilac stepped. Lilac's heart pounded as she bounded along, following Qrow and trying not to trip over any hidden rocks.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

The prince glanced back at her over his shoulder. "To a good place for me to take off," he said, picking his way down one of the steeper hills. "The wind is steady today, but I have to find a good spot to take off from. If I don't, the wind will blow me around like a rag doll."

"How can you tell if a place is good or not?" Lilac asked.

Qrow replied, "You can tell by the wind—if it's blowing and making the grass ripple, I won't be able to take off." They reached a valley in between two hills where the grass lay still. Qrow looked around, smiling. "This looks like a good spot," he said.

"Should I be worried?" Lilac asked "What if you run into a chicken-hawk or hill falcon? I don't want you getting injured."

Prince Qrow shook his head. "No," he answered. "The birds here all know me. A gift from the curse allows me to understand and communicate with birds. They all know I'm not food."

Lilac asked, "What about humans? What if they see you?"

Prince Qrow's smile faltered for a second. If Lilac wasn't so observant, she wouldn't have noticed. "It'll be fine," he replied. "All those employed at Castle Halatia are under oath not to reveal my feather affliction. No one _can_ say, even if they wanted to."

"Lilac's eyes grew round. "An _oath_?" she asked. "I've never heard of one in real life. How on Remnant did your mothers get ahold of one?"

Oath—the sacred bond of your soul. In the kingdoms, after magic was bnned, oaths became the stuff of legends. There were a myriad of ways to create an oath—through your true name, official contracts, or even blood. An oath was always mutual between two parties. Since magic was permitted again, oaths became whispered in conversations once more.

Prince Qrow winked at Lilac. "My mothers," he answered, "paid a witch in the southeast woodlands a hefty price to teach them how to make an oath and use it. They taught Mrs. Greene how, so she could keep things running smoothly here."

Lilac nodded. "I see," she replied. "When shall I take it? My letters with Mrs. Greene didn't mention an oath."

"That's because of how the oath works," Qrow said. "The oath cannot be taken until someone is _told_ of my curse. Mrs. Greene wouldn't have been able to tell you about an oath without raising your suspicions anyway."

"That's true," Lilac said, smiling a little now. "Anything else I should know about?"

Prince Qrow nodded, his red eyes glinting harsh. "Yes," he answered. "Just one thing—the oath requires your blood."

"O-oh," Lilac said.

"I'm…sorry," the prince replied.

"It's not your—" Lilac stopped herself from saying "fault." Since the oath was because of his curse it technically _was_ his fault. Trying again, Lilac said, "It's not your burden. You shouldn't have to feel guilty for something I signed up for."

Qrow smiled at her, his teeth flashing white among black feathers. "Thank you, Lilac," he said. "I needed that."

Lilac smiled back. "You're very welcome," she said. "After all, I _do_ get the experience of witnessing magic. I've always dreamed of seeing such a moment."

The prince barked a laugh. "Wait no more," he said. "We're in the perfect place for me to transform."

Lilac asked, "Do you want me to follow you as you fly? I—I know you said nothing would attack you, but to be honest, I'm still nervous"

"It's alright if you're worried." Prince Qrow answered. "Most people are when they learn I transform into a crow out in the open like this. We…could make it a race if you like."

"A race?"

"Sure," Prince Qrow said. "My friends and I race all the time whenever I transform. It's the best way for Summer to get her strength back. She, uh… She caught a flu over the winter and she was sick for a month. She's good _now_ , but Tai and I still worry."

"I'm so sorry," Lilac replied. "I remember that flu—I caught it, too. I was in bed for a month and a half."

Qrow looked Lilac over. "That explains it," he said. "I was wondering why you were so thin and pale—you looked just like Summer did when the doctor let her up out of bed again. A race will do you good. You'll get some fresh air breathing into you finally."

Lilac asked," Speaking of the race, is there a specific course or track?"

"No," Qrow said, pushing back his bangs. "Usually I just lead the way and Summer or Tai try to follow me. We do have a finish line of sorts. When whoever in the lead makes their way back to the castle, that's when everybody scrambles to get there first. There's no keeping score or anything—but whoever wins gets to challenge the other racer to something."

"Sounds like fun," Lilac said. "All right, Qrow. I accept your declaration of war."

"War?" Qrow asked, chuckling. "You make it sound so serious—like a real national contest or something."

"What can I say?" said Lilac. "I'm a competitive girl."

Qrow grinned, fierce and bright. "You're on," he said. "If this is war, prepare to be defeated."

"That's tough talk coming from a nobleman," Lilac replied.

"Well city girl, I quess we'll find out if I can live up to it," Qrow answered.

* * *

Okay, I updated the chapter, but made it hella short. Please don't kill me for that. Anyway favorite, follow, or review please! Keep me coming back or else I forget to update!


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